


INTERVENTION

by TheBroken



Category: citrus - サブロウタ | citrus - Saburouta
Genre: Angst, Canon Lesbian Character, F/F, Friendship/Love, Intervention, Love, Loyalty, Self-Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 08:54:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27468301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBroken/pseuds/TheBroken
Summary: On the cusp of the early arranged marriage contract she has pushed for out of desperation, Mei gets a call from her oldest friend, Momokino Himeko....And it's not to congratulate her.
Relationships: Aihara Mei/Aihara Yuzu
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	INTERVENTION

**Author's Note:**

> Momokino Himeko usually gets a bad rap from Citrus fans...which she really does not deserve. She can be a royal ass, but she also has a faithful heart, and genuine kindness.

Mei was at the start of yet another lonely, wretched late afternoon when the call came thru on her cell. At first, the black-haired girl thought she might not answer, and just let it go to message, but glancing at it on the table, she noticed it was from a phone that showed the Aihara Academy number. Could it possibly be school business, she wondered? "Why can't people leave me alone?' she thought, 'I've done everything they wanted me to!" With a sigh of resignation, she dutifully answered the call.

"Hello? This is Aihara Mei," she said tonelessly.

"Hello, Aihara Mei, This is Lady Momokino Himeko, if you're going to be hemmorrhoiderally formal. Remember? Your oldest friend ON EARTH? Can we just talk normally, Mei-Mei? About what's going on with you?" Himeko was usually subservient to her older friend, but this was one of those times when the little spitfire Loli was feeling her Okayu.

Mei was temporarily startled. "As...as you wish, Himeko. What brings a call from the distinguished Lady Momokino to my humble phone? And WHY are you still at school after hours?" Mei really did not feel like talking, but clearly, Himeko was in one of those moods. "Why can't people just leave me alone...let all this happen, and get it OVER WITH!" Mei wondered.

Himeko was already nervously bouncing one of her corkscrew curls in anticipation of the emotional joust to come and furrowing her enormous eyebrows, a proud familial trait. She paced back and forth, in the thankfully empty school office room, trying to wear off the excessive energy and clear her head. "I'm still in the office because our class president just decided to become a juvenile delinquent dropout, run off with some grown-assed man, and leave our school, THAT'S why! And as for WHY I called...just curious, I guess, Mei...how are your plans going with the wedding?" she finally asked, deciding to just tackle the subject head-on.

"And of what concern is that of YOURS?" Mei asked coldly, hiding the pain rising in her chest as she thought of...

"I don't know, Mei,' Himeko answered just as coldly, 'I mean, I haven't gotten an invitation, to the best of my knowledge, neither has Yuzu or Ume..."

"GODDAMMIT!' Mei growled, 'You leave YUZU out of this! My marriage, AND Yuzu, are none of your business!" Himeko could hear the sudden edge to her voice.

"Oh? Did I HIT a NERVE? We don't talk about FAMILY with you, now? Do you recall that I swore I would support every effort to make you happy? Do you recall I gave Yuzu my blessing and my FULL SUPPORT, and that my word is, and will always be, INVIOLATE? Do you recall I KNOW YOU AND SHE ARE LOVERS, MEI? And that she is the only happiness you've known for years! It kills me I couldn't be the one, but since it IS her... I'm committed one hundred percent! And I'll hate the jealousy I have for that poor girl until I get buried with it if I can never shake the dirty feeling away!" Himeko thought of how kindly Lady Shiraho Suzuran had recently held her face as she gently told her: "Yuzu and Mei are goddesses of the dawn and evening, and belong together! But, there is one for you!" "Hmm mm. Suzuran!' she thought, 'Speaking of weddings, I've got some REALLY distressing news I've got to part with soon for both my parents AND my fiancé concerning MY arranged wedding...among OTHER topics!" She shook the bittersweet thought off and waited for Mei to collect herself and speak.

"This is my affair." Mei was back to her cold, emotionless tone, so familiar these days to her old friend.

 _"YOUR affair_ and I just let you spiral into an emotional hell _AGAIN_ where Yuzu pulled you out of, to begin with, and God knows WHAT afterward just because your grandfather wants you to be a pedigree baby machine for HIS fucking family honor? What IS your wedding night going to look like, Mei? When it's not that tender girl who ADORES you in your arms? When you're undressed when you're lying there naked and FRIGID, ready for that thing you're SCARED TO DEATH OF, when his pants come down, when..."

"HIMEKO! STOP!" Mei was back to growling again. "Good', she thought, 'I need to speak to her HEART."

"YOU listen to ME, Mei! I have my problems with Yuzu! She's a discipline problem. She can be disrespectful. She can be lazy. But inside her, there's a loving heart of gold that makes up for all that and more. She's totally real, and she'll eventually make me a better person, if I can allow her! I've yelled at her, been mean to her, and she just forgives and goes on, ready to help me the next moment with that heart-crushing smile of hers. Just like she did...when YOU did what YOU DID. And let me tell you, Mei...if you had done THAT to me... No. I'll just leave it at that."

H-Himeko...H-Himeko...you...' Mei started. "Don't give in to her hurt voice,' Himeko thought, 'she's trying to manipulate you into shutting up!" She took a deep breath and strengthened her resolve. "Let me tell you something Mei,' she interrupted, 'Yuzu comes to school every day, where she has been excelling at her studies to make YOU proud of her. She's in the top twenty now! She smiles at her friends, she's been little problem discipline wise. Just her phone and that, I really only go on about it a little bit with her so I'll have a good excuse to ask her how she's doing. And she always smiles, says "I'm fine!", asks how I'm doing, and goes on with her day. But Mei...I've become closer to her friends. And they have noticed, as have I, That she just seems to be a ghost going thru the motions of a former life. But it was the other week that it just struck me the hardest. I had been going up to the roof to our secret place, where you, Yuzu, and I would go nap together...Oh! happy times! And I thought I'd take a break from the office. As I approached our place, I heard the most agonized, miserable wailing and sobbing coming from someone. Someone who was nearly choking on her tears as she begged the heavens for YOU TO BE HAPPY, MEI, AND FOR GOD TO TAKE HER PAIN AWAY! Yuzu knelt on all fours on that roof with her heart ruined, just TORN TO GODDAMN PIECES! And I let her be because there was NOTHING I could think to do. I just backed away crying MY eyes out! And I felt like DIRT!" Himeko's voice caught, she was not successful in holding back her own tears at the awful memory. "Mei...Mei...it broke me. IT BROKE ME! I had to leave early, and I haven't felt right since. I've turned that awful moment around and around in my mind a thousand times...and today, I've called YOU."

She paused a moment to catch a breath, then: "She loves you, Mei, to a degree I can hardly credit. I've practically made myself your handmaiden, but it's NOTHING compared to what Yuzu feels for you! There's no going back. You're her everything. You've torn a hole in her heart, AND SPIT IN IT, and she still forgives you and loves you more than anything. That precious soul! And I knew then, when I heard her honest plea, Mei...she is more to you than I could ever be. I've worshiped you almost my whole life, but that girl would take a bullet for you. I've loved you, and cared for you, _for years, Mei...but_ you're in _her_ care now, because she's _better_ than I am at it! She's already done more for you in the short time you've known her, than your overbearing family, than this cruel world, than _EVERYONE ELSE IN YOUR WHOLE FUCKING HEARTBREAKING LIFE, INCLUDING ME, EVER HAS! YOU_ have misplaced in whom you honor! your non-existent family life has _STUNTED_ your emotional growth! YOU are _NEVER_ going to be a complete person without your perfect lover's help. Your perfect lover, your perfect mate, the bearer of one of two precious rings - the _other_ of which is _you-Is only, then, now, and_ will _always be_ \- _Yuzu._ And you know it, Mei, DAMN IT!-You know it! Oh God, you're killing me with grief!" Himeko gave a powerful effort to hold her sobs in and stood waiting in bitter tears for Mei to say something. _...ANYTHING._

"Himeko.' Mei finally answered after a long pause, ' It isn't possible! I can't be with Yuzu! I NEVER COULD have been with Yuzu! It was just a last effort on my part to have my own life, which I've NEVER had! It was wrong of me. I've crushed her beautiful spirit, that I _adore her for!_ It's made me deeply wound a totally innocent, loving person, possibly permanently...who was...to...me...' she halted, and Himeko could hear her struggle greatly with some terrible emotion. Mei finally whispered: "I've tortured myself every night since I left with the knowledge of my cowardly actions, my _FILTHY_ guilt! I _despise_ myself! I see her face thru my tears! I... She...Damn it!...I... NO! I can't! I have obligations that go beyond ALL of this..."

"What about what _YOU_ want, Mei? What about _YOUR_ happiness? Let alone that sweet girl's!' Himeko whispered, " To honor your family is NOBLE, to sacrifice your life just for some outdated idea some family patriarch has of what's right or wrong is _MADNESS!_ This is the _Twenty-First_ century! This is NOT feudal era Japan! _WE_ can choose _OUR OWN_ happiness, and path to it, and I know, I'm going too, and yes, it's because of Yuzu's brave influence! So, go ahead, Mei-Mei: add lying to both yourself _AND_ me to your list of sins: Tell me you're _NOT IN LOVE WITH YUZU!"_

"I...I DON'T get to be happy. I...don't get to want anything. I don't get to ...LOVE. I never did. I was brought up...to be _OBEDIENT."_ The voice Himeko was hearing now sounded as cold and distant as the moon, only the last word sounding like profanity the way she phrased it. _"God!;_ she thought, _'Mei_ _is wringing my heart_ _out! One more try"..._

"Why are you doing this to me?" Mei suddenly blurted out, pain showing again thru the facade.

"Because, Mei, first for YOUR sake. You will never be happy without love, and after your _SHIT LIFE,_ don't you think you deserve it? The second is for Yuzu's sake. SHE IS that love and a more deserving person I can't find! And third...and third...Is... I love you so very... very, much. And I won't stand by and see you commit spiritual seppuku for that fucking _Aihara_ family pride! Can't I _BEG_ you, can't I _CRAWL,_ what do you want me to do, Mei? _I'LL DO IT! I'LL FUCKING DO_ IT _FOR YOU!"_ Himeko was crying openly.

"Y-You..." For a moment, the cold voice caught, but then resumed its' emotionless monotone. "YOU can leave me alone, Himeko. That's what I want you to do. I'm going thru with this as planned, in fact, I'm going to hasten the signing of the wedding contract..."

"Before you come to your senses when your resolve breaks, you mean?"

"I'M GOING TO SIGN IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE...and leave me alone, please. Please Himeko." Mei sounded thoroughly crushed, utterly defeated, and in pain, again.

Himeko's voice grated acidly; she would have none of it. "Congratulations, Mei! You've just finished pulling Yuzu's guts out, _AND_ mine with them. I love you, Mei. I love you so much, I've degraded myself shamelessly before you. I've never begged anyone in my life, And I _NEVER_ will again!' There was a long pause when neither spoke. "I'll always... love you. _ALWAYS!_ But right now, Mei...''

I don't _LIKE_ you so much."

Himeko stifled a sob and hung up the telephone, and cried her fill in the cheerful, mocking sunlight from the broad school window. Eventually, she was sick of her useless tears and fell to nervous pacing again. She walked back and forth, twisting and springing her Loli curls until they were a mess, wracking her mind for some kind of plan, anything that could possibly help. Suddenly, the little dynamo seemed to have made an important decision and picked up the phone from its cradle again. her mind went to one of the few numbers she knew or had ever been given by someone who cared for her. Up came an image in her mind of a beautiful, green-eyed girl with blond hair, and a smile that could melt almost any heart. _"And when Mei sees that smile once more'_ Himeko thought, _'that's just what will happen!"_ She began to dial the number, her face set with iron determination. "So, you're going to speed up the wedding process, are you? It's not over, Aihara Mei, ALL is fair, in love and _WAR!"_ she whispered under her breath, as she speedily dialed the number.

"H-Hello?" came a familiar sad, sweet voice on the other end.

"Is this Aihara Yuzu's cell?' she asked formally, 'My name is Momokino Himeko..."

**Author's Note:**

> It was Himeko who tipped Yuzu off to Meis' plan to hasten her wedding, causing Yuzu to set her own plan into motion, in Chapter 40.


End file.
